Cyclone Wrestlers Set for Las Vegas

04.07.2009 | Men's Wrestling

By: cyclones.com

AMES, Iowa ? With the collegiate wrestling season finished, several Iowa State wrestlers are gearing up for freestyle wrestling in the off-season. Cyclone wrestlers will be traveling to Las Vegas, Nev. this weekend for the U.S. Senior Nationals April 9-11 and the FILA Junior Nationals April 7-11. The top seven finishers in each division of the U.S. Senior Nationals qualify for the U.S. World Team Trials May 30-31 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Iowa State has five members of its 2008-09 starting lineup taking part in USA Wrestling's U.S. Senior Nationals. The 197-pound NCAA champion, Jake Varner will wrestle in the 96-kilogram (211 pounds) division as the third seed. Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota, the No. 3 seed at 74 kilograms (163 pounds), is the only other collegiate wrestler who has not exhausted his eligibility seeded as high as Varner.

ISU's Nick Gallick, the third-place NCAA finisher at 141-pounds, will wrestle down in weight in the 60-kilogram (132-pound) division. Gallick is a two-time All-American.

Cyclone Jon Reader, who took fourth-place at 165 pounds at the NCAA Championships, will take the No. 8 seed to the 74-kilogram (163 pound) division. Reader has achieved All-America honors twice. ISU teammate Cyler Sanderson will also wrestle in the 74-kilogram bracket.

David Zabriskie, ISU's heavyweight two-time All-American, will take on the competition at 120 kilograms (264.5 pounds).

Former Cyclone wrestling stand-outs received seedings in their respective weight classes for the U.S. Senior Nationals. Trent and Travis Paulson are the top seeds in the 66-kilogram (145.5-pound) and 74-kilogram (163-pound) divisions, respectively. Former ISU national champion Chris Bono is the No. 2 seed at 66 kilograms.

Several Cyclone reserves are set to participate in the FILA Junior Nationals. True freshmen competing include: Matt Brown (74 kg/163 lbs.), Andrew Long (60 kg/132 lbs.), Chris Spangler (79 kg/174 lbs.), Eric Thompson (120 kg/264.5 lbs.) and Anthony Valles (60 kg/132 lbs.). Redshirt freshman Kyle Simonson will take to the 96-kilogram (211-pound) field.

U.S. Senior Nationals
60 KG/132 LBS.
Nick Gallick, Tucson, Ariz.

66 KG/145.5 LBS.
1. Trent Paulson, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Chris Bono, Ringgold, Ga. (Sunkist Kids)

74 KG/163 LBS.
1. Travis Paulson, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
8. Jon Reader, Davison, Mich. (Cyclone WC)
Cyler Sanderson, Heber City, Utah

96 KG/211 LBS.
3. Jake Varner, Bakersfield, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)

120 KG/264.5 LBS.
David Zabriskie, Branchville, N.J.

FILA Junior Nationals
60 KG/132 LBS.
Andrew Long, Creston, Iowa
Anthony Valles, South Windsor, Conn.

74 KG/163 LBS.
Matt Brown, West Valley City, Utah

79 KG/174 LBS.
Chris Spangler, Naperville, Ill.

96 KG/211 LBS.
Kyle Simonson, Algona, Iowa

120 KG/264.5 LBS.
Eric Thompson, Shell Rock, Iowa